State draws up plan to help high school kids excell

State education officials are drawing up plans for “regional academies” for high schoolers who can’t get top notch classes in their school. Rather than closing down or merging schools, Department of Education director Ted Stilwell says regional academies might be set up at the state’s community colleges. Stilwell says there are inefficiencies in small high schools which end up hurting the kids.The academies would be for high schoolers only.Here’s how it would work: a kid would go to school for half-a-day in the district where he lives, then drive to the community college or hook up via the Iowa Communications Network for higher-level, college prep classes. Stilwell hopes to get the regional academies set up by winter semester — January, 2001. Stilwell made his comments during taping of the Iowa Public Television program, “Iowa Press.”